Clutch mechanism



lMarch 9 1926.

1 1,576,190 H. H. JACKSON v CLUTCH MECHANISM Filed August ll, 1924INVENTORS. /ARRY f7'. JAcxao/v W ORNEY.

Patented Mar. 9, 1925,

levain UNITED STATES PATENT iOFF'ICE.'A

HARRY H. JACKSON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNEA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOU-RTH'.lCOl

JAMES V. BALDWIN, ONE-FOURTH TO ANDREW E. BALDWNV, AND ONE-FOURTH TOBERNARD H. SONNTAG, ALL OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CLUTCH MECHANISM. n

Application ledAuguSt 11,1924. Serial No. 731,337.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HARRY H. Jaen- .soN, citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofGailfornia, haveinvented new and useful improvements in Clutch Mechanism, of which the following is a specifi cation.

This invention relates to clutch mechanism of the friction type designedfor use on motor vehicles and in other applications where conditionsrequire or render desirable the use of clutches of this type;

The general object of the invention is to provideclutch mechanism of thedisk type designed to form a unit adapted to b e sub-` stituted for thewell-known cone clutch mechanisms in common .use on motor vehicles, andto convert suchcone clutch mechanisms into similar mechanisms of thedisk type.

It is also an object, in effecting such substitution, to retain allvtheparts of the old cone clutch mechanism that can be utilizedV efficientlyto cooperate with the substituted elements of the disk clutch mechanism,in order to keep the cost of changing from one type of clutch to anotheras low as possible.'

Vilinother object of the invention is to simplify the construction ofthe disk clutch mechanism referred to, and to shape and arrange theparts thereof so as to adapt them for quick and easy assembling anddisassembling when repairing,'or when changing from one type of clutchto another.

Other objects will appear from the following description taken inconnection with the drawing which forms a part of this specification,and in which y The figure is a longitudinal vertical section, takencent-rally through a clutch mechanism embodyingthis invention.

The ldrive shaftl is. provided at the clutch end with a flange 3 andacup-like recess 2 in the end of the shaft. A fly Wheel ll, provided with4a circular opening v5 somewhat smaller in diameter than the diameter ofthe opening or recess'2, is suitably securedto said shaft 1, as by bolts6, with the periphery of said opening 5 projecting into and forming acircular shoulder 7 in said recess 2. A

hub 8 projects from the center of the'tly lwheel land serves to seat acup-shaped disk 9, which may also be secured to the fly wheelilby meansof the bolts 6, as shown.

The driven shaft 'l0 haskeyed to turn therewith and to slide thereon, amember 11 to'whieh one end 13 of a hollow cylindrical ccupling 12 issecured, vas by bolts 14. This coupling' 12, which serves to connect thedriving shaft 1 and the driven shaft 10, has its other end 15 slidablyseated in the hub 8 of the fly wheel 11. A ball bearing 1G also extendsinto said hub 8 and is seated in said recess 2 with a shoulder 17 incontact .with a shoulder 7 formed by the part of fly `The coupling 12and bearing 16 are held yieldingly toward each other by meansV of aplunger 2O having a head 21 seated 1n recess 2, against bearing 16, andby a spring 22 which impinges at one end againsta washer 23bearingagainst an internal flange 24 on couplingv 12 and at its other endimpinges against ahead 25 secured on the end of plunger 2011s bynut/26.' This construction provides for the relative rotation of thedriving shaftl with the fly wheel and mechanism carried thereby and theother mechanism connected to rotate with the driven shaft 10.

The cup-shaped disk 9 has a plurality of pins 27 extending therefrom andonwhich clutch rings 28 are arranged to slide, friction plates 29 beingsuitably secured on opposite sides thereof bymeans of bolts or rivets30.

A supporting plate 31 is fixed to coupling 12, and has projectingtherefrom a plurality7 of pins 32 on which are slidably mounted.friction disks 33, each of which is arranged between two of the frictionplates 29. A plate V54-, also slidable on said pins'82, is provided witha cylindrical sleeve arranged to slide on coupling l2. The platet servesalso as a friction disk, and normally is used to maintain the frictionplates 29 and dis is yso fly Whse serves as a seat for the diskmechanism, and

its periphery serves somewhat as afprotccting casing for the mechanismseated therein.

The coupling slidably connecting the driving and driven shafts providesfor quick and easy separation of the elements 'of the clutch mechanism,and renders all the parts ilnmediately accessible for. either removal orinsertion. lVhen the clutchreleasing;` lever Lll is vinierated in theusual way, the bearing ring' l0 thrusts the sleeve vr'th its plate BJBrearwardly toward the Id en shaft, thereby releasinq'the pressure'between the friction plates 'and disks, Which are mounted to slidefreelyon their' respective supporting' pins v27 `and 82.1 No particularmeans is used to separate said 'plates and disks, as itV is found inactual use thatJ they separate suliici'ently of themselves, whenpressure is relieved, to break driving connection bertvveen the drivingand driven shafts.V

The flange on the cup-shaped disk member is also of great importance,since it.

sei-ves both as a strengthening member and .as a c'asingfor the diskinechanis'm'.

Having described my invention-what l claim and desire to securebyletters Patent'is:- f

l. In clutch mechanism, in combination.,- a driving shaft hawng arecess'1n theend thereof, i fly Wheelfsecured to said shaft and having a partextending over 'said recess to forni a peripheral shoulder, a bearingseated iii-said recess against said shoulder, a 'com plin'iextendingfrom and slidab'ly connected to said flj7 ii'heel, -and means forholding said coupling in yielding contact against said bearing.

in clutch mechanism, in combination,

a driiringshaft, a driven shaft, 'a' 'coupling slicabl;v connected` tosaid driven shaft,

g to the driving1 shaft, VWheel hava reces" therein and secured to saiddriving` sha a cup Y insaid reces y "iclion p slidably ino-uitte ed in"safidsii'ppit, 'disli 'fs'lidab'ly mountedV onsai'd coupling', andmeansk -for pressing said f1 lates "and disks 'in to .yieldingfrictional 13. In clutch line'ch'niism, con bination, a.- di shafthavingza recess" rniitsend, a

i l .ril sec-i' 'ed ce said endY anelli-living. a

' hub portion partly projectinpgr over` Said ggg..

' ns for Ayieldingly 'connecting `said cou-V shaped support `mountedycess to form an annular shoulder therein, a driven shaft, a couplingsecured at one end to said driven shaft and having its other endslidably mounted in said hub portion, and yieldingv means for slidablyand rotatably securingI said other end in said hub portionv t t Themechanism sety forth incl'aiin 3, in conibinatioiiivith clutch mechanismhaving part thereof secured to said fly Wheel and other partscooperating` therewith mounted on' said 'coupling'.

' 5.'1 he mechanism set forth in claim 3, in combination with a'.support secured to said fly wheel, friction platesuslidably mounted onsaid support, a second support fixed to said coupling, disks slidableonsaid second support, and each arranged between tivo of said-frictionplates, aj plate slidably mounted on said coupling, and means forcausing said platcto forceI said friction plates and disks intofrictional contact With each other.'

(5. ln clutch mechanism, in combination, a

driving sha-ft having a recess at one end' ltlnoug-h]said beari'ngandinto said coupling,

a head secure-d to said shank and slidable in said coupling, and aspring arranged .in said 'coupling between the last named head and said-flange tol hold said lxaaringl and said kcouplinnr in yielding contact. vm

7. The mechanism set forth in claim 3, in combination With a supportsecured to said fly Wheel, friction plates slid-ably mounted on saidsupport, a second s'upiport fixed to said coupling, disks fslidablegonsaid second support, and keach arranged between two fof said .fric-tionplates, a plate slidably mounted onfsa'id coupling, .fm-cansl forcausing` said plate to force said friction plates and disksfcintofrictional contact with each other, and means lfor -slidab'ly connecting"said couplingiiviith sai-d driven shaft.-

8. In clutch"mechanisnn a, driving shaft, a Adriven shaft, a conejclutehfly Wlreelfsecured to said driving-shaft, and disc clutch mechanismilfiterposed` between said -l'ly Wheel and 'said driven 'shaft andhaving one end thereof 'iixed .to saidliy Wheel.

- `9.- In .clutch mechanism, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a coneclutch l'y Wheel secured to `one endI of said-driving shaft, a

"coupling1 l-i-avinfgone Lend connected to said Wheel, fritin platessllahly mounted lll) i so

thereon, friction disks mounted between said plates, and means slidableon said coupling for forcing said plates and disks into frietionallocking' Contact with each other to cause said coupling and'driven shaftto rotate with said ily wheel and driving shaft.

l0. In combination with a fly-wheel having a cone clutch socket therein,a disc clutch comprising a member secured to the wheel adjacent thesocket, a central hub,aplurality of discs, certain of the. discs beingnon-rotatably connected to the member, and certain to the hub, andspring means normally holding the discs in face-to-face contact.

1l. In combination with a fly-wheel having a cone clutch socket therein,a dise clutch comprising a member secured to the Wheel adjacent thesocket, a pair of discs connected non-rotatably t0 the member, a centralhub, a disc non-rotatably mounted on the hub and located between thefirst said discs, and spring means normally holding the said pair ofdiscs in contact with the other disc.

l2. In combination with a fly-wheel having a cone clutch socket therein,a disc clutch comprising a member secured to the wheel at the bottom ofthe socket, a plu-V rality of discs connected non-rotatably to themember within the socket, a central hub, a plurality of disesnon-rotatably mounted on the hub and located alternately between thefirst mentioned discs, and spring means normally holding the dises inface-to-face contact.

13. In an automobile the combination of an engine shaft having afly-wheel receiving end; a iy wheel therefor, said iy 'wheel having ahub and a web with bolt holes; a clutch plate member mounted over saidhub; bolts securing said fly wheel, engine 'shaft and said clutch platemember together; a.

hollow clutch shaft slidably mounted in said hub, said shaft beingarranged to be splined to a propeller shaft; a spring within said shafttending to hold the latter in its inner position in said hub; and clutchdiscs secured to said clutch shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my vname to this specification.

HARRY H. JACKSON.

